Friday Photo – September 1, 2017

The wild ram embodies the mystery and magic of the mountains, the rocky canyons, the snowy peaks, the sweet, clean air of the high places, and the sense of being alone on the top of the world with the eagles, the marmots, and the wild sheep themselves.

~Jack O’Connor

Today’s Friday Photo features the mighty Desert Bighorn Sheep of Zion National Park. It is such a treat to get a glimpse of these amazing animals. They are incredibly sure-footed and seem to defy gravity, as depicted in this photo. I have seen them twice in Zion, and this outing was the closest I ever got to them.

The Desert Bighorn Sheep can be found in the upper areas of Zion. I happened to catch them while driving on the Mount Carmel Highway, aka Highway 9, which winds up and out of the canyon toward the east entrance of the park. They are not that skittish, but they also won’t let you get too close to them either. The best thing to do when you do see them, is just let them come as close to you as they will allow themselves. Then just sit back and enjoy the show!